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Waratah Mulvihill signs up as coach with Perth

Former Waratahs fly-half John Mulvihill has been appointed as the backline coach for the new Perth Super 14 team, the Australian Rugby Union announced Wednesday.

Mulvihill, who currently coaches the Gold Coast Breakers and the Queensland Reds regional academy, is the first assistant named to John Mitchell, the former All Blacks coach named earlier this month to lead the Perth franchise.

Mitchell said Mulvihill would join his team next month to help recruit players for Perth’s debut season in 2006.

“We need to move quickly to fill our playing roster, so it will be good to get John on board because of his knowledge of player talent,” Mitchell said.

“We have already had a number of discussions about the mix of players we want playing in this team,” he said.

“John has a lot of fresh ideas and his experience with the Queensland Reds Regional Academy will stand him in good stead to help identify and build our own unique Rugby program,” he said.

Mulvihill, 38, who also gained valuable experience during a five-year stint as head coach of Irish side Navan between 1998 and 2003, welcomed the challenge of launching a new franchise.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of this team and to help the future development of Rugby in Western Australia,” he said.

“Working with such an internationally successful coach as John Mitchell is a great opportunity. We have met and spoken on several occasions and I have been very impressed by his rugby knowledge and his enthusiasm for this challenge.”

“It is very important that we build the right culture and an environment of improvement for all players from day one.